THE GIVING OF THANKS

It is good that our nation has set aside a day in which to give thanks. However, with the Christian, every day should be a day of thanksgiving. Since God is the daily giver of all good things (Jam. 1:17), then we should thank God for those blessings each and every day: “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thes. 5:17-18).
Jesus was thankful. He thanked the Father for food (Mark 8:6), for the revealing of His Word (Matt. 11:25-27) and for the Father hearing His prayer (John 11:41). David, upon the retrieval of the Ark of the Covenant, gave a psalm of thanks (1 Chron. 16:7-36). Daniel, in spite of the evil civil law, “Kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did afore time” (Dan. 6:10). Paul “took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat” (Acts 27:35). Even the angels in heaven fall down before God and give thanks (Rev. 7:11-12).
Yes, the Christian gives thanks to God continually for God’s daily blessings. We are told to be “abounding with thanksgiving” (Col. 2:7), to “be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15), and to be one who is “giving thanks always for all things unto God” (Eph. 5:20).
To be thankful we ought to practice what we sing: “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” We should count our physical blessings of food, shelter, clothing, our measure of health, family and friends. We should also count our spiritual blessings of God’s love and mercy, Jesus the Savior, the Holy Bible which serves as our guide of life on earth and the way to heaven, the church, one’s conversion, the hope of heaven and many, many more. Truly we see that God’s blessings overflow us daily. Thus, our thanksgiving should likewise be abounding.
May our loving God help us to see the wonderful blessings of His hand, and may we return with our deepest thanksgivings
Gary Henson